Why we need WDM built-in EDFA

What is EDFA?

When optical transmitting over long distance, the optical signal has to be amplified many times because of the signal loss from fiber attenuation, connectivity losses, fiber splicing losses, etc. Before optical amplifier is invented, the optical signal has to be first converted into electrical signal, amplified, and then converted back to optical signal again. The process is very complicated and expensive. EDFA Optical amplifier can amplify signals directly, this process is significantly cheaper and started a fiber optic revolution.

EDFA, or Erbium-doped Fiber Amplifier, uses the Erbium-doped fiber as optical amplification medium to directly enhance the signals. The amplifying medium is a glass optical fiber doped with erbium ions. The erbium-doped fiber gain medium amplifies light at wavelengths that are in the neighborhood of 1550 nm—the optical wavelengths that suffer minimum attenuation in optical fibers. EDFA works best in the range 1530 to 1565 nm, and it possesses low noise and can amplify many wavelengths simultaneously, making it the fiber amplifier of choice for most applications in optical communications。

 

What is WDM?

Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM: Wavelength Division Multiplexing) is a technology that simultaneously transmits multiple wavelength signals in an optical fiber. WDM technology increases the transmission capacity of an optical fiber several times to tens of times or even hundreds of times compared with single-wavelength transmission, thereby increasing the transmission capacity of the optical fiber, reducing costs, and having great application value and economic value.

 

What Is a Passive Optical Network(PON)?

A passive optical network (PON) is a fiber-optic network utilizing a point-to-multipoint topology and optical splitters to deliver data from a single transmission point to multiple user endpoints. Passive, in this context, refers to the unpowered condition of the fiber and splitting/combining components. PON system include in OLT, ONU and fiber splitter.

 

PON+EDFA application

EDFA optical amplifier mainly used for 1550nm, which make CATV over fiber tranmission more distance. The PON work with EDFA by FWDM, which realize triple FTTH application. 

Baudcom EDFA optical amplifier can also integreate the WDM, which make the PON work with CATV transmission. Baudcom EDFA built-in WDM make installation easily and improve the transmission more stable, which also reduce FTTH project cost.